He said the area had been cordoned off, and called on the NNPC to shut down the pipeline to cut off the fire.

Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer and exporter, runs a network of pipelines that transport crude and petrol across the vast nation.

Hundreds of lives have been lost in recent years from fuel theft that culminates in a fire or explosion.

On Monday, at least 45 people were killed and more than 100 injured in Ahumbe, in the central state of Benue, when a petrol tanker crashed and then exploded as a crowd gathered to scoop up leaking fuel.

In June, at least 30 people were killed in a petrol tanker fire in southern Rivers state.